I think Brian checks his YouTube subscription for new weightlifting videos every six minutes because he dropped a video-link-deuce on the fan page this morning before I knew what was going on. Here are videos of various Russian weightlifters that are preparing for the 2012 London Olympic Games (27 July until 12 August). Here is the weightlifting schedule (we’ll worry more about this later), but note that Klokov is going to lift at 1700 local time on Monday, August 6th, which will be noon in the EST time zone.

Let’s kick it off with the whammy, a 9 minute video of Klokov preparing to lift interspersed with warming up and hitting some numbers. He misses a double at 200 on snatch, and then says “fuck iiiiiiiit” and throws 205 on. After hitting that, Chigishev gives him a golf clap and Klokov is all, “Hey brah, that’s only 5kg over the World Record, SO COOL YOUR JETS.” And Chigishev is like, “lol bro, you cray cray”. I also want to note that the building they walk into in the beginning is exactly what I pictured in the dream I had where I chatted with Klokov on a park bench (in front of the building) with KGB guards posted everywhere.


Now here is Klokov nonchalantly clean and jerking 232.5.


Here is Maxim Matveev, who is a younger Russian 105kg lifter, doing a push-press with 185kg. It may not be Klokov’s 225, but it’s still a whole lotta weight. But Matveev has jerked 250 out of the rack, and that’s admirable, no?


Then an easy front squat followed by a power jerk…with 210kg? Thank you sir, may I have another.


Russians are stronger than Mike Tyson’s lisp.